Ideas: The new Amiga. Yes, it's inevitable!

[DavidF215]

The new entry level Amiga would look like this:
  A micro motherboard with an AMD processor and RAM
  An NVidia Graphics card or chipset
  AmigaOS5 for x64
  An Office Suite with MS-Office compatible datatypes
  A handful of new games
  Be enclosed in a case like the A1200
  Cost about $295-$495

The new entry middle tier (~A4000 bare) Amiga would look like this:
  A motherboard with middle tier AMD processor
  The middle tier NVidia graphics
  AmigaOS5 for x64
  An Office Suite with MS-Office compatible datatypes
  A handful of new games
  Be enclosed in a case like the A4000
  Cost about $1195

The new top of the line would be like this:
  2 Dual-Core AMD Opteron - Model 2222 SE
  4 GB (4 x 1 GB DIMMs)
  NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 Graphics Card
  146 GB (1 x 146 GB) 15000 rpm SAS Disk
  AmigaOS5 for x64
  An Office Suite with MS-Office compatible datatypes
  A handful of new games
  Be enclosed in a case like the A4000T
  Include a modernized Video Toaster and Maya 3D
  Cost about $3595

[DavidF215]

>While a good idea, how realistic is it?
WHO will recode AOS and make the new x86 versions of SW?
Mine IS genuinely within reach when the NAtAmi60 arrives!

Well, how unrealistic is it? Sun Microsystems and Apple both ported their OS to x64. Give me two valid, practical reasons (one business and one technical) why the idea is unrealistic in contrast to Sun's and Apple's reasons in porting their OS to x64. Sun Microsystems is an Enterprise level business with lots of experience in the industry, and if they made the decision to port SolarisOS (with is more stable than AmigaOS and is an Enterprise level OS), then I see NO reason not to follow them.

Who will port AmigaOS to x64? Hyperion ported from 68000 to PowerPC, so they have porting and business experience coupled with a few new employees from the Aros and UAE projects--if any of them are available for hire for such a project. The only SW that may have problems with emulation are newer apps designed for the PowerPC chips.

Where's a link for this NAtAmi60 project?

>Dave, those are some practical ideas, but in my opinion, nothing that will ever do anything for the Amiga. Let's work on that list together, ok, bro?

Why wouldn't it do anything for Amiga if the code was ported to x64. The only other chip I would use other than PPC would be the Power5 chip from IBM, but that's too expensive for a new entry level Amiga computer.

[DavidF215]

@Zekaric

>This brings up an comment I saw someone else make. Low end should look like an A500/A600/A1200? What are you smoking? I never understood why people liked that all in one look.

Apparently nothing like you're smoking. Unfortunately for you, Apple has proven that there is a market for such small devices due to the success of their MacMini.

>Keyboards fail.

I've been in the PC tech support industry for years, and keyboard failure has been rare. It's not an important factor anymore.

>Replacing a keyboard in an all in one design is far more difficult, especially for the average gumby, than buying an off the shelf keyboard and plugging it in.

I agree to a point, but in reality such "gumby" users are not going to know that it was a keyboard failure to begin with, and they'll bring the entire computer to the shop anyways. And since keyboard failures are so rare these days (other than spilled liquids), I don't think it's a big issue. My A1200 keyboard has yet to fail, and even my C64 keyboard still works. So, again, I don't see replacement as a big deal.

>I would rather see something like a mac-mini or iTV form factor in a low end device than the computer in the keyboard idea.

I like both designs, and I'm sure others do, too. Offer both and let the market decide.

[DavidF215]

QuikSanz wrote:

DavidF215 wrote:

Where's a link for this NAtAmi60 project?

Here
"http://www.natami.net"

Chris

I forgot about this project, and I remember wondering if it has a license from Amiga, Inc. If so, then it would be a good thing for Amiga. The site mentions a licensed copy of AmigaOS, so I somewhat presume that the hardware has been licensed as well. ?? Anyone know?

[DavidF215]

@CodeSmith

Regarding NatAmi, I would think for it to have any commercial significance it needs to be licensed; otherwise, what happens when the number of legal copies of AmigaOS 3.x are gone. A license with Amiga, Inc would enable production of additional AmigaOS licenses.

I remember when the IBM PC was proprietary and reverse engineered by Compaq, I think. Microsoft came along and provided an OS for the new clone. If the project is wanting to repeat this, it might be tricky because times are a little different legally and Companies are suing more frequently for copy attempts.

Even if it was successful, a new name would need to be created because Amiga is a registered name, and I presume NatAmi would be the new name. Plus, the system will need a true AmigaOS that is updated from an original.

IMO the project, once the development version is ready to ship, should contact Amiga, Inc for a license, and it should be presented by someone with good diplomatic and negotiation skills to ensure the project succeeds. I would think that if NatAmi was successfully prototyped and had a list of committed developers as well as other customers, then Amiga, Inc would grant a license in time.

The Amiga market has been fractured enough, and NatAmi, along with the other projects, need to work together with the Parent holder of the technology to further enhance the Brand. Otherwise, noone is going to profit from it as has been the track record over the last decade or two--I'm sure I don't have to start naming Companies and attempts. Five to ten percent of a cooperative, successful Brand is better than 100% of a fractured market that simply struggles just to survive.

The NatAmi sounds like a good project that has potential. In the least it can serve as a bridge between the old technology and the new technology (whatever the new becomes). The only obstacle that I see in the future would be converging the NatAmi technology with the AmigaOS4 PPC code.

[DavidF215]

A6000 wrote:

No, they won't, Amiga Inc will not under any circumstances, grant any Amiga licenses. They are determined to kill the Amiga, why?, I don't know, maybe some other company is paying them to do it, I cannot see how they would benefit otherwise.

Sure about this?

A6000 wrote:
When Natami runs out of OS 3.9, they could either sell it without an OS, since we all have several already, or bundle AROS68k with it.

I guess AROS would work.

Atheist wrote:
I believe there are an infinite amount of AOS3.9's available. Doesn't every copy of Amiga Forever come with a full, byte for byte copy of AOS3.9? What you run it on is your business.

Yeah, I forgot about Amiga Forever having the OS. It would be a native OS to the hardware.

[DavidF215]

persia:
>Exactly, you have Nvidia and ATI, each with thousands of employees focused on video development and you think that a little company is going to design something better?

My thoughts, too. Start with developing drivers for a selected line of integrated Intel Graphics processors then expand to Nvidia.

>This is why it is hard to get back into the OS market. How do you distinguish a new Amiga from a Linux/BSD/Windows box? If you build it why not just run MSWindows or Linux on it? You really have to write the applications for the OS as well as the OS. Everybody does video now, and you have rich and complex products that run circles around video toaster. Why would I (your average Joe Video) want to use an Amiga?

For some reason the old Journey song, "Only Solutions," from Tron popped into my head.

@B00tDisk
Nice Mobo. It should run KX Light with Amiga Forever, and noone would know the difference.  Just need to be able to run OS4 on it then, or if Amiga Inc would allow Hyperion to develop OS4.2 for one of the ACube PPC motherboards then that would be fine, too.

[DavidF215]

Putting AmigaOS on PS3 is a waste of time and investment. People buy the PS3 for games not for a computing experience. What motivation is there for a PS3 owner to buy AmigaOS for it when PS3 already has excellent games?

[DavidF215]

amigadave wrote:

>What modern programs for banking, word processing, spreadsheets, etc. that are compatible with worldwide standards (which means Microsoft Word & Excel) will AmigaOS4/5 have to compete with Mac, Windows, or Linux?

>Answer: NONE!

Bingo! If Amiga Inc would pay their Indian programmers to make an updated Office Productivity package rather than flush money on .Net programs then their other investment in AmigaOS4 would pay better ROI.

Anyhow, at this point, new or updated applications should be the number one priority of the AmigaOS community. What good is a Yacht without enough money for fuel? Likewise, what's a good AmigaOS4 without good programs to fuel its demand. And why get another yacht if you still don't have fuel for the new one--what good is AmigaOS on a new platform without applications. If modern applications are available, then porting to another platform is understandable, but until then focus on application development.

>Edit: If the Amiga community wants to move forward, each and every one of us had better become programming wizards and start coding 24/7 in ways that make programmers for all other platforms look like children in grade school in comparison. Maybe then we can inch forward on the path to catch up.

Along this line I also think, and I'm sure I'll get flamed for it, but I think AROS should stop development for now and apply all their efforts in making and updating AmigaOS applications instead. I tested Aros, and honestly I wasn't impressed. IMO, AmigaForever is a better alternative, and it's commercial. Why put forth effort duplicating something (AmigaOS) that doesn't have decent applications to emulate, especially when a commercial emulator is available that's, IMO, better anyways at this point in time.

I for one have put StormC 4 on my "to buy" list so I can port some of my games over to AmigaOS. And I hope Hyperion wins the court case so I can buy AmigaOS 4 and new PPC hardware because I can't get OS4 now due to hardware restrictions.

[DavidF215]

Steril707 wrote:
>The future doesn't look too dark anymore...

I agree.

[DavidF215]

@Beast96GT

Well, I guess the New Amiga is here (The ACube PPC with AmigaOS 4.1), and the original question has been answered and is now reality. Now, put up or shutup.

All hail Hyperion.